Clamp for holding the uppers of boots and shoes



E. S. PRATT. Clamp for Holding the Uppers of Boots and Shoes.

Patented April 6; 1880.

M'messes f9. mzm

N. PETERS, PHOml-JTNOGRAFflSfi, WASHINGTON, O. C

lJNiTEn STATES PATENT EEicE.

ELBRIDGE S. PRATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLAMP FOR HOLDING THE UPPERS OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,191, dated April 6,1880.

Application filed January 15, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELBRIDGE S. PRATT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps for Holding theUppers of Boots and Shoes while being sewed t0 soles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved clamp by which the uppers of bootsand shoes are clamped upon lasts and held firmly while they are beingsewed to soles.

The object of my clamp is to facilitate the sewing of soles and uppersby securing the uppers, at their shank, ball, and toe portions, snuglyto the last, and also holding them firmly, by means of adjustableclamp-jaws of proper form applied upon a skeleton-frame of an outlinewhich conforms generally to the outline of a boot or shoe, and is of adiameter longitudinally and transversely less than that of the lastthrough its longest and thickest or widest portions, thus avoiding thelabor and inconvenience, as well as delay, of fitting and adjusting theuppers by hand while the sewing of the same to their soles is beingproceeded with. v

I obtain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a top view of my improved clamp appliedto a lasted shoe, said shoe being shown with its sole partly sewed on.Fig.2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transversesection in the line 00 a; of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sectionsof the horizontally adjustable clamping jaws of the clamp.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is an oblong skeleton-frame, of less diameter transversely andlongitudinally than the last upon which it is usedthat is to say, theframe, while it can be fitted around and upon the hi ghest part ofthelast, so as to bear against its heel and instep portions and againstthe sides of the last which are between the instep and the heel, cannotdescend below the points where it bears against the heel and instep ofthe last. This frame conforms generally to the outlines of the lastbetween the instep and heel, and is contracted by means of inward andoutward bends, a a, above the front part of the last, so as to bearagainst the respective sides of the upper part of the instep of thelast, and thus be kept from descending too far while the clampingoperation is being performed. Forward of this contraction the frame ismade slightly tapering, its center being as nearly as possible in linewith the longitudinal center-line of the last. The form of the frame maybe varied from that described without departing from my invention. I

To the frame A a number of clamp-jaws, B O G, are attached, their shanksI) and 0 being respectively screw-threaded, fitted into the guide-holesof the frame, and provided with thumb-nuts d, which bear against theframe.

The clamp-jaws B have upright shanks I) passed vertically through theframe A, and their lower ends are flared and curved to fit the sides ofthe shank of the last. They are drawn tight upon the uppers and last bythe thumb-nuts d. The clamp-jaws C have horizontal shanks c, withthumb-nuts d, and their lower ends, 0, are flared and curved to tit theball of the last, and the jawG has a horizontal shank, c, and athumb-nut, d. This jaw is also flared and curved to fit the toe of thelast.

The clamp-jaws G and O are drawn tight upon the lower parts oftheuppers, by means of the thumb-nuts d, in a horizontal direction.

The clamp-jaws B, O, and G are gradually reduced in thickness in adownward direction, and they terminate with almost a knife-edge, asshown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, and thus sufficient room outside of the jawsfor the manipulation of an awl is afforded all around the seam-surfaceof the boot or shoe.

Operation: The uppers are drawn over the last and secured to the bottomedge of the same by tacks, as usual. The clamp-jaws B for the shank ofthe shoe are removed and the clamp-jaws G 0 set out far enough to clearthe ball and toe portions of the shoe or boot. The jaws B are firstplaced upon the shank sides of the upper, and beiugheld by hand orotherwise in their proper position, the frame A is passed down over thetop portion of the uppers and last, and in this act the shanks I) arecaused to enter guide-holes in the frame A. This done, the thumb-nuts dare screwed again upon the threaded ends of the shanks until they bearagainst the frame. Next the clamp-jaws G O are drawn up by thumb-nuts (1until they bear respectively against the ball and toe portions of theshoe or boot. The frame A is nextfirmly pressed down and adjusted to ahorizontal position, and the clampjaws finally tightened upon the shank,ball sides, and toe of the shoe, and thus the uppers are securelyclamped to the last, ready for being sewed or otherwise united to thesole. \Vhen the sewing operation is begun the tacks holding the loweredges of the uppers to the bottom edge of the last are remoy ed, and theedges of the uppers, which hang loosely, are turned outward away fromthe last, and a tinished or prepared sole (which may be composed of twoor more soles of difiterent widths joined together) is tacked upon thelast so as to hold it during the operation of sewing, and the turned-outedges of the uppers placed upon the grooved or channeled seam-surface ofthe outer sole, and a prepared welt then placed upon the turned-outedges of the uppers, and the sewing operation performed by sewingthrough the welt, uppers, and sole.

In the drawings the above-described mode of manufacturing boots andshoes by sewing through the welt, uppers, (and outside of the last andthrough the outersole is illustrated, also a stitch gage welt is shown;but neither of these things is claimed under this patent, they beingshown here for the purpose of illustrating my improved clamp, which iswell adapted for use in connection with the' same, and for all kinds ofwork where the sole and uppers are united outside of the jaws of theclamp.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. The portable skeleton-frame adapted for fittingupon and around a lasted shoe or boot 226, MPH

upper when fitted upon a last, in combination with adjustable jaws forpressing the edges of the uppers down upon the sole, having theirsupport upon said frame, substantially in the manner and for the purposedescribed.

2. The combination of the portable skeleton'frame, adapted forfittingupon and around a lasted shoe or boot upper, and the shankclamping jawsB, having vertical portions I) and nuts 61, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

3. The combination of the portable skeleton-frame A, adapted to fit uponand around a lasted upper of a shoe, and the ball-clamping jaws 0,having horizontal portions 0 and nuts (I, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

4. The combination of the portable skeletonframe A, adapted to be fittedupon and around a lasted upper of a shoe, and the toe-clamping jaw 0,having a horizontal shank, c, and nut 11, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

5. Thecombination of the portable skeletonframe A, adapted to be fittedupon and around a lasted upper of a shoe, and the jaws B and (1, having,respectively, appropriate shanks and nuts, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

6. The skeleton clamp-frame A, of an outline'conforming generally tothat of the last upon which it is used, of less diameter than thethickest and longest parts of the last, and contracted at the instepportion of the last, as at a a, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

ELBRIDGE S. PRATT.

Witnesses ALEXANDER PORTER, DAVID A. CLARK.

